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Top 10 Yahoo Searches of 2014

Every year Yahoo puts out the top ten searches from that year. The results are always revealing about our culture and the events of the world. Here is what our culture has been searching for (Yahoo).

Ebola.

Minecraft.

Ariana Grande.

Jennifer Lawrence.

Kaley Cuoco.

Kim Kardashian.

Frozen.

Miley Cyrus.

iPhone 6.

Jennifer Aniston.

The billions of searches represented by this list are quite enlightening. Let’s make some observations. First of all, three of the top ten searches are related to entertainment (iPhone 6, Frozen, and Minecraft). Unsurprisingly, our culture has a heavy focus on technology and fun.

Second, six of the top ten searches are for women. While not all of these women are excessively scandalous, most of them are. The fact that women are being search for isn’t exactly shocking, but it is one more sign that our society is dangerously focused on sexuality.

Third, Ebola stands unique among the others. Nine of the top ten searches were either for entertainment or women. It’s interesting the only thing more searched for is a sickness people are excessively worried about.

Missing on this list is even the slightest hint of spirituality. There is nothing related to God or religion. There isn’t even anything connecting to something good that has occurred in our world. It is about worries, women, and fun.

This is what our world is searching for. This is what our world is focused on. But what would happen if we received a list of our own personal top 10 searches? Would there be anything related to God or things that are good? Would the list be any different?

Let’s not forget that we are called on to be different from this world. 1 John 2:15-17 spells it out clearly, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

Yahoo’s top 10 searches say a lot about our world’s focus. Let’s make sure our focus is on things that are above, and not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2).